TCA Statement on Turkey's Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria

On January 20, Turkish forces launched “Operation Olive Branch” into a corner of northwestern Syria adjoining two heavily populated Turkish provinces. Among the chief goals of the Afrin operation is to root out the Kurdish militia, affiliated with the PKK, which both the US and Turkey list as a terrorist organization. Both share a reverence for now-imprisoned PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan and its military structure and leadership is indistinguishable. Despite acknowledgment of this by some parts of the US administration, the US nevertheless views the YPG/PKK as an effective fighting force against ISIL. For years, Turkish officials tried to convey to the US that enlisting one terrorist group to fight another is a dangerous strategy, especially when the former group seeks the territorial dismemberment of Turkey, a NATO ally, and is responsible for the deaths of civilians and NATO soldiers. The Obama administration has ignored these warnings, while the Trump administration, regrettably, has responded with mixed messages and an insufficient regard for Turkey’ security.

The tragic Syrian civil war has played out along Turkey‘s southern border more than anywhere else. Turkey continues to host the world’s largest number of refugees according to the U.N. Refugee Agency with over 3.7 million registered Syrians.

Though not widely reported in the US, dozens of Turkish civilians have been killed in cross border attacks by ISIL and YPG/PKK. In 2017 alone, YPG/PKK terrorists from Afrin infiltrated Turkey and murdered 5 Turkish security force members. With the Afrin offensive, Turkey will cut off YPG/PKK infiltration into its borders and preempt further plots against Turks and other Western targets in Turkey.

Since the operation started, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mattis, Secretary of State Tillerson, and the White House have underlined that Turkey has legitimate security concerns and the right to self-defense and to protect its citizens. They have also urged the Turkish military to limit its actions to minimize the risk of conflict between American and Turkish forces. The Pentagon has announced that if SDF forces, meaning the YPG/PKK, carry out military operations not specifically targeting ISIL, then they will lose US support. While this statement is clear, its application appears murky in light of the recent attacks against Turkey launched by YPG/PKK. Without a clearer articulation of US strategy, the situation risks deteriorating further, especially if Turkey perceives the need to extend the offensive to Manbij, where there is also US-backed Kurdish presence.

There is no question that US arms and training of the YPG/PKK hastened the defeat of ISIL. However, a byproduct of using these groups has been increased Kurdish aspirations for autonomy in Syria, just as in Iraq. TCA Chairman Dr. Yalcin Ayasli stated: “The lack of coherence in the US government’s response to emerging threats in Syria leads to trust issues between the NATO allies. We urge both the U.S. and Turkish governments to deescalate the tensions and engage diplomatically on a long-term Alliance strategy on Syria and the region.”